Cleaning machines for containers or cans,especially for premix containers



June 3, 1969 TILL 3,447,543

CLEANING MACHINES FOR CONTAINERS OR CANS, ESPECIALLY FOR PREMIXCONTAINERS Filed Nov. 9, 1966 Sheet of 2 INYENI'UR Ber/van 7 24 By owwvgHTTOP/V YS June's, 1969 A TILL 3,447,543

CLEANING MACHINES FOR INERS CANS, ESPECIALLY FOR PR ONTAI 5 Filed Nov.9. 1966 Sheet 3 of 2 FIG. 5 K I} F164 4 fi United States Patent3,447,543 CLEANING MACHINES FOR CONTAINERS OR CANS, ESPECIALLY FORPREMIX CONTAINERS Arthur Till, Sindlinger Bahnstrasse 159, 6230Frankfurt am Main, Sindlingen, Germany Filed Nov. 9, 1966, Ser. No.593,105 Claims priority, application Germany, Nov. 17, 1965,

Int. (:1. B0sb3/04, 9/12 US. Cl. 134-58 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE Cleaning machines for washing the outsides and insides ofcontainers are known. Machines for cleaning small numbers of pieces perhour mostly consist of stationary sheet-steel cases, with doors oropenings, and with appliances for the containers and nozzles properlyarranged for cleaning outsides and insides of the containers.

The disadvantage of these machines is that they cannot be used veryeconomically, for time is lost in exchanging containers after finishinga cleaning.

Machines for cleaning higher numbers of pieces per hour are maderotatable, as for example known rotary bottle cleaners.

The disadvantage of these machines is that they are expensive tomanufacture and cumbersome in construction by the necessary driving gearfor rotation. Besides, these mechanical driving gears are susceptible tobreakdowns.

To exclude those disadvantages a cleaning machine is recommendedaccording to the invention, by which on the one hand the operating timewill be utilized completely for cleaning while on the other hand norotation process by motor power is necessary.

According to one embodiment of the invention the machine is composed ofa case with two to four or more chambers, each with an opening, throughwhich the containers to be cleaned are set into the appliances.

Since a machine having two chambers is preferred, such embodiment willbe described in more detail. One chamber opening is closed by a slidingdoor. By sliding that door one chamber is opened and the other one isclosed. A cleaning only takes place on those containers which are withinthe chamber closed by the sliding door, while containers which have beencleaned and which are to be cleaned may be exchanged in the openedchamber. Since cleaning is still efiected in one chamber, while thecontainers are replaced in the other one, the capacity of the machine iscompletely utilized. The invention has however the advantage, that onlyone pump system and one electric automatic modulating system is requiredas in the simpler known apparatus, and that in spite of this thecleaning capacity is doubled. By moving sliding door, valves areoperated over contacts or cams (operating clock valves), which permitcleaning only within the closed chamber.

There are difierent methods; the foregoing is only an example. Themachine may have various forms, such as rectangular and round. Thechambers may have a different capacity. An embodiment of the inventionis described in more detail in the attached drawing:

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FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of one embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the embodiment shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a front elevation of a second embodiment of the invention inwhich a container and a circular bearing have been cut away to revealthe operation of the apparatus;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the embodiment shown in FIGURE 3.

In FIGURE 1, the numeral 11 generally designates the case of the machinein which is defined the chamber 12 and behind the door 17 the chamber32. Within the chamber 12 are containers 13 and 14 in the appliances 15and 16, while containers 18 and 19 are being cleaned inside the chamber32. After finishing of cleaning inside the chamber 32 the door 17 willbe pushed into a position in front of the containers 13 and 14, so thatchamber 32 will be opened and chamber 12 will be closed. The cleaningprocedure inside the chamber 12 is then started. The containers 18 and19 then are freely accessible and may be changed with other ones forcleaning. The pipes with the nozzles for the outlet of cleaningcompounds are designated by and 31.

In FIGURE 2, 11 shows the case from above and 17 the slidable door. Thedividing wall between the chambers 12 and 32 is designated by 20. Thecleaning compound fiows through the pipe 21. The valves 22 and 23 willbe controlled by the stop switches 24 and 25 by the door 17. Forexample, if the door 17 in the position at the stop switch 24, as shownin FIGURES 1 and 2, the valve 22 is closed through a contact or adialling device and valve 23 is opened. If the contact with the stop 24is terminated by displacing the door 17, the valve 23 closes too, andthe valve 22 opens if the door 17 operates the stop-contact 25.

Another example is described in FIGURES 3 and 4. In FIGURE 3, thenumeral designates the case having a frame 41, which is turnable roundthe axle A-B. At the frame 41 two semicircles of pipe 42 and 43 areattached as shown in FIGURE 4. On 42 and 43 the containers 61-70 areattached to be cleaned. The cleaning compound gets through the hollowpipe 51 either into the semicircle 42 or into the semicircle 43, onlyinto that one which is inside the machine 40.

In FIGURE 4 is shown the semicircle 42, on which are attached containers61 through 65 which are being cleaned. After finishing the cleaningprocedure the frame 41 will be turned until the semicircle 43 is insidethe machine case, and now the containers 66-70 will be cleaned. During acleaning procedure it is possible to change outside the machine case thecleaned containers for more containers to be cleaned.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclussive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A cleaning machine for containers, comprising a case having at leasttwo chambers, at least one of said two chambers being configured forwashing containers, and at least one of the two chambers beingconfigured for the ready exchange of cleaned and uncleaned containers;means to supply cleaning fluid selectively to the chambers; and means tofacilitate the flow of cleaning fluid to one chamber while preventingthe flow of cleaning fluid to the other chamber; wherein the chamberscomprise two similar chambers having openings facilitating placement ofcontainers within the chambers and having closing means for theopenings, the closing means being interrelated whereby closing onechamber effects the opening of the other chamber, and the closing meansbeing connected to the means to facilitate the flow of cleaning fluid,whereby the closing of one chamber facilitates the flow of 3 4 Cleaningfluid to that chamber, and whereby the opening munication system,thereby actuating and Opening of the other chamber prevents the flow ofcleaning fluid to the first valve to supply cleaning fluid to the firstthat chamber. chamber, and whereby sliding the door away from 2. Thecleaning machine of claim 1 comprising: the second chamber opens thesecond valve cutting off the second communication system, which closesthe second valve preventing the flow of cleaning fluid first and secondchambers having open fronts and being arranged in adjacent side by siderelationship;

a track mounted on the open fronts of the adjacent to the secondchamber.

chambers; a sliding door mounted on the track for selectively clos-References Cit d ing one or the other Of th chambers; 10

first and second cleaning fluid supply lines respectively connected tothe first and second chambers and to iigllfigers a source of cleaningfluid; 1

first and second valves mounted respectively in the first E 53 13 andSupply 11116.8; 15 1,934,539 11/1933 Henderson 134 200 XR 21 firstswltch mounted 1n the track ad acent the first 2 573 965 11/1951Guolielmoni 134 200 XR chamber; 1

a second switch mounted in the track adjacent the sec- 2623238 12/1952Sluss 134F400 XR 0nd chamber; and ROBERT L. BLEUTGE, Primary Examiner.

first and second communication circuits inter-connected 20 to therespective first and second valves and switches, U5, C1, X R

whereby sliding the door in front of the first cham- 134-88, 171, 200ber closes the first switch and operates the first com-

